Violin.



ROBERT L. YEAKEY, OF CAVE IN ROCK, ILLINOIS.

VIOLIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

Application filed August 22, 1917. Serial No. 187,628.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT L. YEAKEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cave in Rock, in the county of-Hardin and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Violin, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to violins and is designed primarily as an Improvement upon the structure disclosed in Patent No. 1,227,358 issued to me on May 22, 1917.

One, of the objects of the invention is to simplify and otherwise improve upon the means employed for transmitting vibrations from the bridge of the instrument to the sound board, the means employed being readily accessible, fitting snugly together at all times,and beingapplied readily to the body of the instrument.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can-be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention have been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section through the body of an instrument of that type disclosed in my patent hereinbefore mentioned and showing the present improvements combined therewith.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the parts of the vibration transmitting structure.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bearing provided therefor.

Fig. 4.- is a section through a ortion of a violin showing a slightly modi ed form of the invention, the supporting bar and bearing being shown in section and the structure being turned around as compared with Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the body of a stringed musical instrument of that type disclosed in my patent hereinbefore mentioned, said body including the peripheral band 2, the face board 3 having a central aperture 4, and the sound board 5.

Se ur d Wi hin th pp r p rtion of the body 1 is a bar 6 and fastened on this bar by means of a screw 7 or in any other desired manner is a plate 8 having an opening 9 registering with an opening 10 formed in the body 1. A bridge bar 11 is arranged above the plate 8 and has a downwardly extending rounded portion 12 at one end which bears on the plate 8. A groove 13 is formed in the bottom of the bar 11 and mounted on the baris the bridge 14 engaging the strings 15 of the instrument.

Arranged within, the body 1 close to the opening 4: is a supporting bar 16 and fastened on, this bar is a plate 17 having upwardly curved fingers 18 at the sides thereof. Projecting inwardly from the sides of these fingers are knife edges 19 supported close to the opening 4:. ,A bell crank 20 is supported in the opening 4 and has oppositely extending trunnions 21 at the angle thereof, each trunnion being provided with an angular groove 22 for the reception of one of the knife edges 19. This bell crank has a downwardly extending arm 23 connected by the link 24: to a cleat 25 secured upon the sound board 5. The other arm of the bell crank is extended inwardly over the plate 17 and has a recess 26 in which is seated a lower rounded end of a rod 27. This rod is extended loosely through the openings 10 and 9 and has its upper rounded end seated in the grooves 13.

It will be obvious that when the parts are properly adjusted the strings 15 under ten- 14 upon the bar 11 which, in turn, will press downwardly through rod 27, upon the inwardly extending arm of the bell crank 20. Thus the lower arm 23 of the bell crank will pull on the link 24 and hold the sound board 5 under tension; Thus each time the bridge 14 is vibrated by the sounding of one of the strings the vibrations will be transmitted by way of the rod 27 and bell crank 20 to rod 24 and the sound board 5. The knife edges 19 fitting in the groove 22 provide a very sensitive connection between the bell crank and the instrument so that the parts will respond to the slightest vibration, friction being reduced to the minimum. Furthermore, by removing the bridge 14, bar 11, and rod 27 the bell crank can be relieved of strain and lifted readily out of the instrument.

Instead of having the bell crank arranged With t lQ er arm extending downwardly,

said bell crank can be inverted, as shown in Fig. 4: wherein the bearing plate 28 is secured to the bottom of the bar 16 but has its fingers curved upwardly to project into the grooved trunnions 29 of the bell crank 30. The lower arm of this bell crank is extended horizontally for engagement by the lower ends of the rods 27 while the upper arm of the bell crank-is extended vertically for engagement with the link shown at 2% in 1. The operation of the structure shown in Fig. i is the same as that shown in Fig. 2, but is obviously not as compact because the bar 16 must necessarily be located farther away from the opening 4L and is therefore less accessible.

lVhat is claimed is 1. In a stringed musical instrument, a hollow body having a sound board at one side and an apertured board at its other side, a bar within the body and close to the opening in the apertured board, a bearing plate secured upon said bar and having spaced knife edges, a bell crank engaging the knife edges, a link connecting one arm of the bell crank and the sound board, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for and close to the opening in the apertured board, a bearing plate upon said bar, having curved fingers provided with spaced knife edges, a bell crank extending between the fingers and having oppositely extended grooved trunnions engaging the knife edges, a link connecting one arm of the bell crank to the sound board, a bridge-supporting bar mounted for rocking movement, and a rod interposed between and engaging one arm of the bell crank and the bridge supporting bar, said rod being movable within and through one wall of the'body.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT L. YEAKEY.

W'itnesses:

I. A. CoL'rRIN, WA TER BARNERD.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ,Patenfl, Washington, D. G. a 

